A Historic Swim Through Crocodile Waters

In Australia, it seems everything can kill you—sharks, snakes, spiders, and even the sun! And don’t forget about the crocs lurking in the rivers. But for swimmers like Simone Blaser, these dangers are just part of the adventure.

While most would steer clear of the wild, Simone thrives in it, taking on challenges that most would find terrifying. Her next mission? Swimming the crocodile-infested Upper Ord River in Western Australia, proving that nothing—not even Australia’s infamous wildlife—can stop her!

Will she be the first person to swim the entire 50km length of Western Australia’s Upper Ord River?

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on an inspiring member of the Swim Smooth Perth Squad, Simone Blaser. Simone is no ordinary swimmer—she’s about to embark on a history-making challenge, aiming to become the first person to swim the entire 50km length of Western Australia’s Upper Ord River. Her dedication to open water swimming and her commitment to raising funds for the charity Swim for Refugees make her an extraordinary individual.

Simone will set off at midnight on 14 September, swimming from Lake Argyle Dam to the Diversion Dam in Kununurra.

“This is a unique place, and I’m incredibly fortunate to swim in such a pristine body of water. The untouched cliffs and rugged beauty inspire me to push my limits”

Though saltwater crocodile sightings are rare in that stretch, Simone knows she’ll be sharing the water with freshwater crocodiles. “Hopefully, they won’t pay too much attention!” she added.

Simone has raised over $6,000 for Swim for Refugees, a Perth-based charity teaching refugees vital swimming skills. “Many people who come to WA seeking shelter and refuge come from places where they’ve never had the opportunity to learn to swim. Swim for Refugees helps welcome these people to Perth, gets them involved with their local community, and teaches them the critical life-saving skill of swimming, giving them an opportunity to embrace the lifestyle here safely and without fear,” she explained.

Originally from South Africa, Simone has built an impressive open water swimming resume since moving to Australia in 2008, including multiple Rottnest Channel swims and ultra-marathon swims. Her latest challenge in Kununurra will be her biggest swim yet.

Throughout many of her wild swimming adventures in Western Australia, Simone has benefited from Paul Newsome’s mentorship and coaching. His advice and encouragement have been invaluable as she prepared for her endurance swims. Simone has been training rigorously with the Swim Smooth Perth Squad, swimming up to 50km weekly to get ready for this monumental feat.

Here’s just the 5km ‘warm-up’ of one of her recent Saturday morning swims with the Squad:

🇧🇪 A little inspiration from the other side of the planet!

And whilst Simone is preparing for her epic journey tomorrow, just last week, newly Certified Swim Smooth Coach, Marieke Blomme, become the 4th fastest swimmer to complete the length of Lake Geneva - an incredible distance of 70km!

Speaking to the entire team of Swim Smooth Coaches this week, Marieke shared her opinion on how whilst nutrition is often considered the 4th discipline of triathlon, for marathon swimming, she believes it’s the 1st:

“I made some crucial mistakes that caused my speed to drop from 3.5 km/h to 2 km/h, which was quite frustrating! My nutrition plan included gels (50g and 25g), bananas, isotonic drinks, "liquid" food, raisin bread, and sports bars (nougat, marzipan, oat caramel). However, I should have communicated better with my support team about my carbohydrate limits—70g per hour for me—and emphasized not to give all 70g in one stop.

The plan was for the 50g gels to be given only once per hour, always with isotonic drinks. But at night, the skippers couldn’t see clearly and gave me a 50g gel plus liquid food (which had 25g of carbs) twice within 1.5 hours. I didn’t process this until after I had already consumed it. I then tried to adjust by eating and drinking less at the next stops, which were every 20 minutes, but I ended up consuming too many carbs—around 90-100g per hour. This caused my speed to drop significantly. Unfortunately, the team didn’t inform me I was slowing down, and I didn’t realize it myself at first. I felt like I was maintaining the pace I wanted, and my stroke cadence stayed the same, but I had a heavy, brick-like feeling in my stomach.

When I realized what had happened, I stopped eating and drinking for an hour, which helped, but I never really got back up to speed. Feeding in ultra swimming is quite tricky because you have very little control. You might request something every 20 minutes, but you might get it every 25 minutes instead. Or you ask for 200ml and receive 150ml. You really have to rely on your team a lot more than in other endurance events, and communication is limited.

My team did a great job over the 24 hours, but I should have been more strict and provided clearer instructions. I’m still learning! Feeding strategy is challenging in these long swims, and next time I want to experiment with other foods like rice and mashed potatoes. On the plus side, I’ve had enough gels to last me for years now!”

Good luck Simone and well done Marieke! We’re very proud of you both!Your Coach,Paul

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